Love's Mystery
by RoseSama35
Summary: The legend is over, the battle has been fought, and the enemy has been defeated. A festival is being thrown in celebration for the end of the cycle of the Moon Child. But not all of the partygoers are celebrating happily.
1. How I Truly Feel

_Love's Mystery  
__Chapter One: How I Truly Feel_

A/n: Yo Yo Yo! This is a RoseSama35 production, commin' at ya hard with the real stuff, werd!

Yeah, I just had to get that off my chest. Anyway, this is my first attempt at a straight romance. Please let me know if you guys like it and would like to see another chapter! It takes place after The Moon That Never Sets (MTNS) falls out of the sky. (The name gets a little pointless afterwards.) So here goes nothing. _Italics _mean flashbacks and 'Example' means someone is thinking. Hope y'all like it and please remember to review!

(Love's Mystery: Chapter One: How I Truly Feel)

Shana walked through the streets of Seles, looking for someone. It was rather hard though because the streets were crowded with people. Tonight, Seles was having a festival to celebrate Shana's safe return and the end of the Moon Child cycle. And now the festival was in full swing. Everyone was drinking, talking, singing and dancing and having a good time. Shana was having an okay time. But it would have been better if she could have found Dart. He just seemed to have disappeared.

Within all the madness of the crowd, Shana wasn't really watching where she was going and bumped right into someone. She looked up to see that it was none other than Albert, king of Serdio, the Jade Dragoon, and a good friend.

"Oh, sorry Albert, I didn't see you there," Shana apologized quickly.

"Not a problem at all," Albert replied. "It'd be rather hard to avoid bumping into someone _eventually_ in this crowd. I didn't realize that there were this many people in Seles."

"Well, you could say that we know how to party," Shana said with a smile.

"Oh, by the way, you wouldn't happen to know where I could find a bathroom, would you?" Albert asked. 'Oh please say yes, I've been looking around for half an hour now!'

"You could use the one in my house," Shana suggested as she pointed to her home. "It's just across the street on the first floor."

"Thank-you very much," Albert exclaimed happily. He smiled at her and then began to make his way through the crowd. 'Shana, you're a life saver!'

'Just be sure to put the seat back down when you're done. Oh wait, I almost forgot!' Shana thought. Shana went to catch up with Albert.

"Oh Albert, before you go!" she called.

"Yes, is there something I can do for you?" Albert asked. 'Oh _please _make this quick!'

"Yes, have you seen Dart anywhere?" Shana asked.

"No, I actually haven't seen him all night," Albert replied.

"Oh well, thank-you anyway," Shana said, sounding rather disappointed.

"Don't worry. I'm sure he's somewhere partying with Meru and Haschel," Albert reassured her before walking away. He knew that Shana probably wanted to be with Dart desperately on this night of all nights, but nature was calling and he was never one to refuse such things.

'Right,' Shana said to herself. She hoped he was. Dart had been acting a little strange lately, and she couldn't quite figure out why. With no conclusion for his strange behavior coming to mind, Shana let out a sigh and continued to walk through the streets, searching for her one and only love.

(Scene Change)

Lloyd sat on a random rooftop, watching as Shana walked through the streets. He knew who she was looking for. And he debated on weather he should tell her that he was on a near-by hilltop, watching the small town. He quickly decided not to tell her because he knew that Dart wanted to be left alone, though Lloyd himself wanted to thank Dart for saving his life. He didn't know how, but he had managed to pull both him and Rose out of the collapsing moon before it crashed down on Endiness.

He brought them back to Seles where they had been recovering ever since. Though it had been five weeks, (two of which he spent unconscious, and a third in which he was bed ridden because he was still weak) Lloyd hadn't completely recovered yet. A fresh Band-Aid on his left cheek was evidence of that. But he was well enough to move around on his own and he could have left at any time that he wanted. But for some reason that even he didn't know, he chose to linger in the small town. Everyone was nice to him, despite the fact that he was the one who led the raid on this very village in the first place. But wait...they didn't know that. Back then he was still hidden by his black hood and cape. He decided that he wanted to keep it that way.

Lloyd passed one more look over to the hilltop where Dart was still sitting. Dart must have noticed him watching because he then waved slightly. Lloyd waved back.

"Hey Dart," he said under his breath. The two had actually become pretty good friends over the past two weeks. A small smirk couldn't help crawling across Lloyd's face. It was something that he thought about every now and then. Of all the people Dart chose to save in that one instant, it was him and Rose, and not his own father. His smirk grew wider as he thought of all the possible reasons why Dart probably didn't save Zieg. The thought was rather amusing.

Lloyd watched the people below having a good time as he finally took a sip of the drink he had sitting next to him. It was surprisingly good. His complements to the chef, which just happened to be none other than Meru. Then, as if his imagination could manifest into reality, Meru came out of the house that he was sitting on top of and waved to him.

"Hey Lloyd!" Meru called. "Why don't you come down here! I made some stuff I want you to try! You'll really like it!" Lately for some reason, Meru had been fancying herself as a chef. But she wasn't that bad at it. Lloyd couldn't help another smirk. Maybe if he imagined hard enough, some other...thoughts...may come true. He thought for a moment, but nothing changed. He was still on the roof and Meru was still on the ground.

'I guess some things have to be worked on,' Lloyd thought as he jumped down from the roof. "So what do you have for me this time?"

"I got some new drinks and a few soups I want you to try," Meru said excitedly as she pulled Lloyd into the house. "After that, I want you to try a few other dishes I made."

'Looks like I'll be working _all night long_,' Lloyd thought to himself as he tried to resist another devilish smirk.

(Scene Change)

Dart sat on a hilltop that over looked the village of Seles. He watched the near by forest for any signs of movement, not wanting anyone to come and surprise him. His vision casually switched between the forest and the village below. Torches were lit and now love music was playing. There was no one with him, though Lloyd said that he'd have a beer with him later. He saw Lloyd and waved to him. Then he watched as Meru dragged him into the house, most likely for food sampling.

Dart couldn't help but let a small smile creep across his face. Everyone had been getting along with Lloyd better than he thought they would, especially him and Meru. He didn't know how the others would take to him after he recovered, or how Lloyd would take to the others. But surprisingly, everyone accepted Lloyd. And he returned the kindness.

Dart's mind soon started drifting to another place. Dart quickly shook his head to get rid of the thoughts. His thoughts weren't completely straight and he blamed a certain event that happened a few nights ago.

_Dart entered the Seles inn, looking for someone in particular. He knew where this person was staying and didn't have to ask for a room number. To his relief and dismay, the person he was looking for was in their room. At the moment, she was pulling off the cute tiara that made her look like she had cat ears._

_"Um, can I come in?" Dart asked._

_"Sure, come in Dart," Rose said. Dart stepped into the room and watched as she set the tiara down on the dresser._

_"You know, that tiara is really cute on you," Dart said, trying to get the conversation going somehow. "It makes you look like you have cat ears." Rose couldn't resist a small smile._

_"Thanks," she replied with a slight giggle that she tried desperately to hide. Needless to say, she failed. She then sat down on her bed and began to pull off her uneven boots. After the long one was removed she looked back at Dart. "So is there something you need or are you just going to stand there and watch me undress?"_

_'Tempting...no! Focus Dart, you have to do this,' he told himself._

_"Actually, I kinda wanted to talk to you about something," he said as he stepped further into the room._

_"Do you want to sit down?" she asked._

_"I...um...sure," Dart answered, finally finding the right words. He then went over and sat next to her on the bed._

_"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Rose asked. She was so calm, so cool, so beautiful. Dart had to force himself to keep focused._

_"Well, you see..." Dart let his words drift off because again, he couldn't find the words that he needed to tell her just how he felt. How could something be so impossibly difficult? 'Come on Dart! You can do this. Just take it slowly.'_

_"What is it?" Rose asked, noticing the frustration on his face. She had felt a little awkward when he came in the room, just like how she felt awkward every time she saw him or was with him. Ever since the MTNS (Moon That Never Sets) came down and they've been here at Seles, she felt awkward around him. But not in the way that made you want to get away from that person, but the kind that compelled you to be with them and at the same time never want meet their eyes. And now she had a strange tingle in her chest and the butterflies that were already in her stomach had gone rabid. More than simply her Dragoon senses were telling her that something was about to happen - something big._

_"Well, for a while now," Dart began, "I've had this kind of...feeling. About you. And… it's been churning up inside of me and sometimes, it's like...I don't even know what to do with myself. And sometimes, I feel like...like..."_

_"Like you could just burst with emotion?" Rose asked, not meaning to finish his sentence. _

_"Yeah," Dart answered, then let his voice trail off. 'Why in the name of Soa did I just do that?' Rose scolded herself. Now she felt really stupid and uncomfortably vulnerable. She had to resist the urge to bite onto her bottom lip, a bad habit she had whenever she was nervous (which wasn't too often and hasn't been for at least...11,000 years)._

_Dart was surprised that Rose actually finished the sentence before he could. Did that mean that she felt the same way? Dart's heart took a leap forward. The two looked into each other's eyes. Both were filled with anxiety, and both told the same thing. Dart could feel his heart beating against his chest, threatening to show itself to the world. _

_The two did not say a thing to each other for a long while, they just held their gaze as if trying to read each other's soul. Dart didn't know how much more of this he could take. He was worried he might pass out from all the excitement. But he was quickly saved from having to go through anymore of the awful anxiety._

_"Hey Dart! Can you help me with something?" Rose and Dart both broke gaze and turned to the doorway to see Lloyd standing there._

_"Um, sure," Dart said as he stood up. He glanced back at Rose. Their eyes were still wide; their hearts still beating like drums to a fast paced song, their souls still completely open but their business unfinished. Dart wanted to stay with her forever but at the same time, wanted to get away from the situation as quickly as possible. He couldn't remember ever feeling so confused. But his glance only lasted an instant, and then he was out the door with Lloyd._

_"I was on my way to my room when I heard your little...conversation," Lloyd said once they were out of earshot of the room. "I figured you'd want an excuse out of there for a moment."_

_"Thanks," Dart replied with a sigh, ignoring the fact that Lloyd was eavesdropping on them._

Dart let out a sigh as a slight breeze blew from the east. It was then that he heard footsteps behind him. He turned his head, looking behind him at a young, raven-haired woman. Rose.

"Why'd you follow me?" Dart asked in a low sincere voice. In truth, she had been watching him for a while, not planning on revealing her position. But then she accidentally stepped on a dry leaf, cursing to herself and alerting Dart of her presence. Fortunately, she was able to play it off in a cool manner. Rose smiled gently and sat down very close to Dart, her back slightly to the village.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked. Dart shrugged as his heart skipped a beat and the butterflies returned.

"So, what are you doing up here all by yourself?" Rose asked as she put her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. Dart's heart skipped two more beats and the butterflies went rabid. He was sure that he'd die from loss of air before he was able to answer her. And even though he didn't show his anxiety, his eyes gave him away.

"Just watching the village," Dart answered, his voice barely above a whisper. Their faces were so close that he didn't have to be louder than that. They were so close that he could smell her light perfume. They were so close that he was worried about breathing on her. But Dart still had to keep himself from getting dizzy. The two stared each other dead in the eye. Ocean blue met deep scarlet eyes, and the two didn't break their gaze - they simply couldn't.

"You still didn't answer my question," Dart said. "Why'd you follow me?" He felt unbelievably stupid for asking such a dumb question now. But he was relieved when he saw Rose's smile get a little wider.

"For this," she whispered into his ear gently, her blow making Dart a little excited. And then she pressed her lips to his. Dart's heart soared as that amazing kiss seemed to last forever. But they eventually broke away from each other slightly. Now everything seemed so easy, so perfect. Now he could tell her.

"Rose," Dart whispered, "I love you."

"Shh," Rose said seductively as she put her finger up to his lips. She smiled again and whispered, "I know." The two kissed again with the love music echoing from the village. And this went on till the end of the festival.

(Chapter's End)


	2. Last Moments

_Love's Mystery  
__Chapter Two: Last Moments_

A/n: Hello everyone, this RoseSama35 coming to you with the "second" chapter of Love's Mystery. I realize that I've already posted a second chapter, but after receiving many reviews from curious readers, I realized that there was flaw in my storyline. As it would seem, many people were terribly curious as to how Lloyd and Rose managed to survive the fall of the MTNS, because both seemed to be pretty **_dead_** after the fight with Melbu Frahma.

So now I have put up this chapter in hopes of putting at ease some of the curiosity. I apologize for not having all of my facts as I progressed through my chapters, and I hope this satisfies all of the readers. Now, on with the story!

(Love's Mystery: Chapter Two: Last Moments)

The pain was more than he could possibly bear. And if anyone in Endeness could take pain, it was him. But this...this was worst than pain...it was death.

Lloyd's vision blurred as he tried desperately to hang on to the chaotic world around him, but he was failing miserably. The ground shook all around him, and fire spouted out from every possible crack. One spout of fire came dangerously close to him and threatened to roast him alive and serve him on a silver platter, well done on Soa's feasting table. But despite this, despite the ground that seemed to be lifting and rising under him, despite the burning flames, and despite the pain searing through his body, he still did not die.

Was this Hell? Was this some sort of punishment for the evil he had done in his life? Was he doomed to this for the rest of eternity? No…no, it couldn't be. Something told him that he was still alive, something beyond his comprehension at first. But slowly, he became aware of the world around him, and of the giant God of Destruction formerly known as Melbu Frahma shouting curses to every god, star, and cloud in the sky for his defeat. With much effort and even more pain, Lloyd strained to turn his head to Melbu, wailing like a spoiled baby, and managed a smirk.

'Well, you ugly bastard looks like you loose, and I won't be going down alone.' Had he any strength, Lloyd might have attempted a bitter laugh, but he didn't even have any strength left in him. The rumbling ground tossed his body around like a limp doll and he endured every bit of it as the pain within him increased significantly. Lloyd had no idea that this much agony was possible. And yet he still didn't die!

Then the ground, already shaking violently, underwent an enormous tremor that lasted for half a minute but seemed to last for half of an eternity. It tossed Lloyd high into the air where he was met by a falling boulder to catch his weak frame. Lloyd dreaded the very moment that his body would hit ground with this massive monster on top of him, and further intensifying his torture. But he was spared this when another giant boulder collided with the one that would have been on top of him and the two broke into smaller pieces. Unfortunately, the impact sent him flying to the ground faster and the shock from hitting the ground nearly made him black out. But despite all of this, _he still did not die!_

'Soa is a terribly vengeful bitch,' Lloyd though bitterly as he slowly gained awareness of the area around him again. That tremor was over, but Lloyd suspected that there would be more from where that first one came from. The spot where he had been lying on before he was tossed into the air now burst into flames. At first they seemed to reach to the heavens, but slowly came down to the point where Lloyd could see past them, and what he saw worried him greatly.

Melbu was wailing around, fuming, angry, defeated, but not dying. That wasn't good. Flames were still spouting around him and the ground still shook and quaked, but he wasn't going down. Why? Now Lloyd was halfway pondering why Melbu wasn't dieing, and halfway begging for his own death. But a moment later, it didn't matter.

Lloyd heard something shoot over his head and then saw two figures flying straight for Melbu. It was Rose and Zieg, coming in to make the final blow and finish all of this for good. Melbu didn't even see them coming. And when they struck they made a great explosion and Melbu let out a cry so loud that it nearly rivaled the sound of the chaos around them. Lloyd would have smirked, satisfied with the way things were going now, but he had absolutely no strength left in him. In fact, he was almost completely numb, and was starting to black out. It looked like everything was finally going to end for him, and he would finally get some piece. That or he'd go straight to Hell, though he believed he deserved no less.

But before he blacked out he saw a light dash overhead, moving at great speed straight towards Melbu. What in the world was it? It seemed so bright, and completely out of place with the surrounding chaos. But soon it disappeared, along with everything else around him. Everything was black...but he was still aware of everything around him. He could still hear the deafening rumble of the ground beneath him; he could still feel the heat of the fire spouting up from seemingly nowhere around him; he could still hear Melbu sending curses to Soa herself, though his voice was growing weaker as his strength failed him. Zieg and Rose had done their part well.

Suddenly, Lloyd was racked with a shaking of a different kind, completely out of sync with the rest of the place. It almost seemed like - and Lloyd thought this was a strange notion to have - the shaking was coming from within him. And it did not cause him the slightest bit of pain. It wasn't violent, but very persistent as well; it seemed as enigmatic as the light that dashed over his head after Rose and Zieg.

"Lloyd...Lloyd! Calm down Lloyd, it's just a dream! Come on Lloyd, wake up!"

Lloyd sat upwards with a speed that surprised both him and Meru. His entire body was tense, his eyes were wide with horror, his breathing was heavy, and he was sweating terribly. Lloyd directed his wide-eyed gaze from the end of the bed to Meru who was standing at its side, worry mounted in her jewel-like eyes. She was dressed in only a white T-shirt that came down to her knees. Her long platinum hair was not bound by any ribbon and fell freely around her shoulders and waist. It was then that Lloyd realized that he had a very tight grip on Meru's wrist. Looking down from her gaze, Lloyd gingerly relaxed his grip.

"S-sorry," he mumbled between deep breaths as his hand fell away from hers.

"Lloyd, are you okay?" Meru asked as she knelt down next to the bed.

"Yeah...just a bad dream," Lloyd answered softly, still trying to catch his breath. Meru finally looked down at Lloyd's body and gasped with surprise.

"Oh my gosh, look at you! You're bleeding! Some of the wounds must have re-opened. Here, lay back and try to relax and I'll be right back," Meru concluded as she stood up. Then she eased Lloyd back onto the bed and quickly exited the room. When Meru was gone, he let his eyes wander around the cozy little room at the Seles inn. Yes, that's where he was, in Seles...not that hellhole. Lloyd took in a deep breath and a stinging pain ran all through his chest. It was all...just a bad dream. …Just a dream of the past.

Lloyd then let his eyes drift over to the one window in the room not too far from the bed. It was open and he could see the moon through it. Lloyd guessed that it was some time around midnight.

It didn't seem like Meru was gone for five minutes before she returned to the room with a few medical items to redress his wounds. "Okay, let's get these old things off of you," Meru said as she began to work on removing Lloyd's old bandages. Fortunately, none of his major wounds had re-opened, but his restless movement while he slept (and even more previous activities) and put some strain on them and they bled through anyway. While Meru worked, she noticed that Lloyd was strangely quiet, and often seemed to be starring into space. It wasn't unusual for Lloyd to be quiet and observant, but this was different and Meru could tell that there was something troubling him. When she finished putting on his new bandages she finally had to ask.

"Is something bothering you, Lloyd?" Meru asked as she sat down beside him on the bed. She let him stroke her cheek and run his fingers through her hair affectionately as he thought of how to properly answer her. It was a very long moment before he finally thought of a reply.

"It's nothing," Lloyd said as he tried to give her a confident smile.

"Don't give me that crap!" Meru cried, offended that he wouldn't open up to her. "I've never seen you in a fit like that, Lloyd! It was so scary! So don't tell me it's nothing because I know something's got to be on your mind!" It was a while before Lloyd realized that the bright light he saw go overhead was Dart. To be more to the point, Rose told him that it was Dart. She had actually thought he knew like she did - however it is that she knew - and was surprised when Lloyd came to her about the matter. She told Lloyd that she didn't know how she knew; she just knew that it was Dart who saved them.

"It was just a bad dream," Lloyd finally answered.

"About what?" Meru asked. "Something horrible?"

"Something more like torture," Lloyd said, foolishly hoping that that would be enough of an answer for Meru. But she continued to watch him attentively, waiting for him to further explain. So with a sigh, Lloyd continued. "It was when the moon was collapsing, after you guys had defeated Melbu Frahma...and I was still there as the whole place was falling apart. It was like I was reliving the entire thing! I could see everything that was happening, and I could feel it too! The ground was shaking and pulling apart, rocks of any size you can think of were flying around everywhere, and fire was shouting out from seemingly anywhere. And Melbu was there too, shouting curses and everything. And I couldn't move at all, I was completely limp, and was getting tossed around here and there like a rag doll. It all just seemed so real..." From there, Lloyd's voice trailed off and his eyes became distant as his mind chased the fragments of memories from the horrible dream. Amazingly, he was already forgetting parts of it, but nothing could shake the memory of how vivid and painful it was.

He finally came back to reality when he felt Meru gently put her hand to his chest. Her hand traveled from where smooth bare skin was exposed to the place where his heart was, though covered now in fresh bandages. Lloyd looked down at her hand then back up at her and was surprised to see that her eyes were full of tears.

"I can't even begin to imagine what sort of nightmare that must have been. It had to be absolute Hell..." she said softly as her eyes filled more with tears to where they ran down her cheeks, and she looked on the verge of bursting into sobs. Lloyd then brought his hand to her cheek and wiped away a tear while trying to give her a comforting smile.

"Well, it's over now. It's all in the past; just a bad memory," Lloyd said confidently as he pulled Meru close to him and once more stroked her long platinum hair. Meru rested her head on Lloyd's chest and wrapped her arms around him, allowing herself to be comforted. It was rather funny how it turned out that she would be the one who needed consoling even though Lloyd was the one who had the frightening dream. Meru let out a long sigh, slightly disappointed in herself but glad that Lloyd was there none-the-less.

"I was...I was just worried, that's all," Meru said softly. Lloyd noted how their voices were progressively getting softer.

"I know," Lloyd replied in a near whisper as he stroked Meru's hair again and kissed her forehead. Lloyd knew that if he kept this up, Meru would be asleep soon, so the two sat there in silence. While still comforting Meru, Lloyd tried to recall the final moments of the nightmare before he was awoken. He remembered that the enigmatic light had dashed over his head after Rose and Zieg into Melbu Frahma. At the time, he hadn't known that Dart was the flash of light moving at impossible speeds. But now he knew, and reasoned that it was the strength of the Divine Dragoon Spirit fueling him. After Dart had dashed over him Lloyd's vision did fail and he couldn't see anything around, though he was still very much conscience. That was even worse than the torture he had already endured. Now the entire place was blowing up around him and he couldn't even see it; he couldn't even tell when his final moment would come. Though, despite his immeasurable pain, he still did not die. Lloyd was convinced that he was being punished for every wrong that he had ever done before being sent straight to Hell.

The ground beneath him continued to quake ever more violently, and he could feel the burn of stray embers from the spouts of fire that sprang up in unknown places. Now, Lloyd felt more than just his great pain, or his great anger; Lloyd was scared! He felt a fear that was completely alien to him. He was scared for his life, realizing that he didn't want to die and he was fearful of his end to come. Lloyd found himself in a panic, making his heartbeat faster and more painfully. The pain aside, it was the most awful feeling for Lloyd to ever experience, and he prayed for everything to just end!

But out of nowhere he felt himself get snatched up somehow by something or someone, and now he was flying through the air. Lloyd still couldn't see a thing, he didn't know where he was, nor did he know what was happening. All he could do was continue to panic. He would have flailed out in fear if he had the strength, but his body was as limp as the dead. Lloyd didn't know that it was Dart that had hold of him through the rough flight, he was merely scared, in terrible pain, and confused. And it was quite the rough ride as he was barely missed by dodged rocks and boulders, though still getting scraped here and there. But it was when he went straight through a rock too large to avoid that he finally slipped from consciousness. It was then that he prayed for death and at the same time hoped against it...

Meru shifted in his arms, and brought Lloyd from his deep thoughts. He looked down at her and she was looking up at him, their deep red eyes connecting in silent communication. Then Meru sat up and observed Lloyd intensely, looking deep into his eyes as though she was searching his soul. And Lloyd was left wondering what exactly she was looking for, or if she'd find it in the end. Her tears were gone now and her gaze was steady. "Lloyd..." she began.

"Yeah?" he asked. But then her gaze eased and went to simply relaxed.

"Nothing," she finished. Lloyd detected a half smile come to Meru's face right before she took his arm and leaned him closer to her. Their foreheads were about to touch before they finally closed their eyes and let their lips touch gently, but passionately. The two stayed there in the peaceful moment of that kiss, letting the world pass them by without a care. Nothing else mattered but the person opposite of them, making the kiss complete. After what seemed to be half an eternity and half a second at the same time, the two finally parted but remained just a hair's breath away from each other. Filled with silent and unquestionable passion, Lloyd wrapped Meru in his embrace and the two kissed again. But this one did not last as long as the first one, and the two were parted once more. So Lloyd sufficed to kiss Meru's forehead and then her cheek.

After a moment of calm silence, Meru looked up to Lloyd again. "Let's get some sleep," Meru said softly, a small smile now on her face.

"Sounds good to me," Lloyd replied. The two then leaned back into the bed and Lloyd helped Meru under the sheets. She snuggled close to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his chest. Lloyd in turn had an arm around Meru to keep her close to him until the two fell asleep.

(Chapter's End)


End file.
